News about the Nobel Prize left me speechless, says Bob Dylan
The songwriter said he would definitely attend the Nobel gala in Stockholm on December 10, 'if it’s at all possible'.
Bob Dylan finally broke his silence about winning the Nobel Prize in Literature on Friday. In the first ever interview since the win, the songwriter told The Telegraph that the achievement was "amazing, incredible. Whoever dreams about something like that?"
He was he would definitely attend the Nobel gala in Stockholm on December 10 “if it’s at all possible”. When asked about his silence so far about the prestigious prize, Dylan simply said, "Well, I'm right here."
The Nobel Foundation also announced on the same day announced that they have finally managed to get in touch with Dylan about his win, Rolling Stone reported. "The news about the Nobel Prize left me speechless," he told the Swedish Academy. He said he appreciated the honour. "If I accept the prize? Of course," he added. However, the Foundation said that it was yet to be confirmed if Dylan would attend the December event.
While announcing the prize on October 13, permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, Sara Danius, had compared Dylan’s writing with that of Homer and Sappho. “They wrote poetic texts that were meant to be listened to, they were meant to be performed…but we still read them… same thing with Bob Dylan. He can be read, and should be read," Danius had said.
Reacting to the comparison, Dylan said, "I suppose so, in some way. Some [of my own] songs – 'Blind Willie,' 'The Ballad of Hollis Brown,' 'Joey,' 'A Hard Rain,' 'Hurricane' and some others – definitely are Homeric in value." He said it was hard for him to believe that he has won the prize, and he has not given it much thought yet. "I'll let other people decide what they are. The academics, they ought to know. I'm not really qualified," he said. "I don't have any opinion."